ABOUT
The 3rd annual conference will include panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities for sexual assault activists from across Louisiana. We hope to provide a casual, collaborative, and creative environment for students, administrators, faculty, and community members to gather and share their experiences about sexual assault activism on their college campuses.
We want to create a safe environment for people to raise awareness and use their creative voices to help other activists across the state.
Conference Schedule
8:30 AM: Check In and Light Breakfast
9:00 AM: Welcome Address by Nedra Alcorn, Dean of Students at Xavier University
9:30 AM: Student Activist Panel: Challenges and Success
*Catherine Jacquet, Women and Gender Historian at LSU
*Stephanie Boyd, Student Activist
*Bridget Lee, Peer Educator and Hotline Operator
*Gabriella Rodriguez, Student Activist
11:00 AM: Keynote Speaker: Dalton Tiegs
12:15 PM: Networking Luncheon
1:15 PM: Breakout Sessions
*Love, Sex, & Power Theatre Piece, Jenny Mercein & Students
*Peer Hotline Reflections and Experiences, SAPHE
*Challenges to Undergraduate Sexual Violence Research, Hailey Mozzachio, Hannah May, Ryan Herrschaft
*Community Resources and Immediate Advocacy, STAR & FJC (Angela, Sarah, Alix, Amanda)
{mini break}
2:30 PM: Keynote Speaker: Rebecca Merton
3:45 PM: Breakout Sessions
*Title IX/Changing Policy Breakout Session
-Chelsey Whynot, Title IX Intern, Tulane Law Student
-Joseph Canaria, LaFASA
-History of Student Activism Surrounding Sexual Violence, Catherine Jacquet
4:30 PM: Closing from the LSASAC Team - Qatar Ballroom
8:30 AM: Check In and Light Breakfast
9:00 AM: Welcome Address by Nedra Alcorn, Dean of Students at Xavier University
9:30 AM: Student Activist Panel: Challenges and Success
*Catherine Jacquet, Women and Gender Historian at LSU
*Stephanie Boyd, Student Activist
*Bridget Lee, Peer Educator and Hotline Operator
*Gabriella Rodriguez, Student Activist
11:00 AM: Keynote Speaker: Dalton Tiegs
12:15 PM: Networking Luncheon
1:15 PM: Breakout Sessions
*Love, Sex, & Power Theatre Piece, Jenny Mercein & Students
*Peer Hotline Reflections and Experiences, SAPHE
*Challenges to Undergraduate Sexual Violence Research, Hailey Mozzachio, Hannah May, Ryan Herrschaft
*Community Resources and Immediate Advocacy, STAR & FJC (Angela, Sarah, Alix, Amanda)
{mini break}
2:30 PM: Keynote Speaker: Rebecca Merton
3:45 PM: Breakout Sessions
*Title IX/Changing Policy Breakout Session
-Chelsey Whynot, Title IX Intern, Tulane Law Student
-Joseph Canaria, LaFASA
-History of Student Activism Surrounding Sexual Violence, Catherine Jacquet
4:30 PM: Closing from the LSASAC Team - Qatar Ballroom
SPEAKERS
Catherine Jacquet
Catherine Jacquet is assistant professor of history and women’s and gender studies at
Louisiana State University where she teaches courses in US history, the history of
sexuality, black feminism, and LGBTQ activism. Her book The Injustices of Rape: How
Activists Responded to Sexual Violence, 1950-1980 will be published with the University
of North Carolina Press in Fall 2019. As a specialist in US women’s history and the
history of sexuality, Dr. Jacquet has a keen understanding of the adversities that women
and sexual and gender minorities have faced both historically and in our own time. She
is a feminist and she believes you.
Stephanie Boyd
After becoming a sexual assault survivor during her first-year of college, Stephanie Marcellé
Boyd went on to start stopsexualassault.org with her mother, serve as the keynote speaker
at last year’s Take Back the Night, and become a trained sexual assault advocate for
current students at Loyola University New Orleans. A graduate student in Loyola’s music
therapy equivalency program, as well as a graduate of Loyola’s popular and commercial
music program, Boyd also raises awareness about sexual assault and its related issues
through music. Last year, she organized a benefit concert for STAR, Louisiana’s Sexual
Trauma Awareness and Response Center; and, this April, she will partner with college
students around the city to release a creative project for sexual assault awareness month,
titled Human. For more information about her and Human, visit stephaniemarcelle.com. You
can also follow her on social media: @musicbymarcelle
Gabriella Rodriguez
Gabriella is an undergraduate student at Loyola University. She currently serves as the president of the
Students Against Sexual Assault club, which seeks to combat the normalization of sexual assault, victim blaming, and
cultural proliferations of unhealthy masculinity by altering the way in which people hold others accountable for their
actions and view of society. She has spoken on several panels about rape culture and sexual assault, is a campus advocate
for survivors, and was present in DC at a speak out in support of Dr. Ford this September.
Jenny Mercein
Jenny Mercein is an actor, teacher, writer, and director. Acting work includes “NCIS:
New Orleans,” "30 Rock," "Blue Bloods," "Unforgettable," "Law & Order" and
extensive theater credits spanning the country. Recent directing credits include “The
Metromaniacs” (Tulane), “Dancing at Lughnasa” (Tulane- Big Easy Nomination, Best
University Production), "Too Much Water" (UCSB), and "Heathers the Musical"
(Santa Barbara's Out of the Box Theatre- Broadway World Nomination, Best
Director). Along with KJ Sanchez, Jenny is the co-creator of the acclaimed
documentary theater play X's and O's about football and traumatic brain injury. An
Assistant Professor and Head of Undergraduate Acting at Tulane University, Jenny is
currently she is collaborating with students and members of Goat in the Road
Productions on Roleplay, a new theatrical work highlighting students’ perspectives on
love, sex, power and relationships on campus, created in an attempt to understand,
confront, and heal the culture that keeps harassment and violence alive in their
community. MFA University of Washington, BA Yale. www.jennymercein.com.
Hailey Mozzachio
Hailey Mozzachio is junior at Tulane majoring in Theater and digital media production with a
minor in psychology. She implements her artistic training as well as her research experience to
study the LGBTQ representation in media and how that affects audience perceptions of LGBTQ
populations. She is currently a research fellow for Academic Equity. She is currently a cast
member in Machinal and Role-play.
Hannah May Powers
Hannah May Powers is a sophomore at Tulane University studying Sociology and Latin
American studies with a minor in Portuguese. She is currently working on a research piece that
seeks to understand the prevalence of sexual violence within male homosocial groups on the
American college campus, especially with regard to same-sex sexual violence within these
circles. She is also working on a piece that examines sexual violence against LGBTQ+ women
who are currently incarcerated.
Ryan Herrschaft
Ryan Herrschaft is a junior at Tulane University studying public health and psychology. As a
researcher, he analyzed correlates of sexual violence perpetration and victimization among
LGBTQ+ identifying students. His current work involves using evidence-based practices to
implement interventions centering LGBTQ+ students and the health disparities they
encounter.
Amanda Tonkovich
Amanda Tonkovich is the Sexual Assault Program Director and a therapist at the New Orleans
Family Justice Center. She coordinates the New Orleans Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
and the New Orleans Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Action Coalition. Amanda has over
10 years of experience working with survivors of intimate partner abuse, sexual violence,
stalking and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse as a counselor and advocate. Amanda
helps facilitate collaborations between multi-disciplinary groups to continually improve the
response to sexual and domestic violence and also oversees the Family Justice Center’s 24/7
medical advocacy program. Amanda sits on the New Orleans Mayor’s Advisory Committee on
Sexual Assault and is the current Chair of the Louisianan Crime Victims Reparations Board.
Alix Tarnowsky
Alix Tarnowsky is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Advocacy
Director at Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response® in the New Orleans office. Prior to
joining the STAR® team, Alix served as the Program Manager of NOLA Dads at Family
Service of Greater New Orleans where she created a Healthy Relationship program.
Alix completed her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009 and
then relocated to New Orleans in 2011 to pursue a Masters of Social Work degree with a
certificate in Disaster Mental Health from Tulane University. Alix graduated with a Master of
Business Administration, focused on Strategic Management and Leadership from Tulane
University’s Professional MBA program in 2017. During Alix's time at STAR, she has
worked to improve services for sexual assault survivors and their loved ones.
Chelsey Whynot
Chelsey is currently a second year law student at Tulane University Law School who
has been involved in campus assault prevention since she was an undergraduate
student at Bentley University in Boston, Massachusetts. Most recently, she worked at
Tulane University's Title IX office as a legal intern. There, she assisted the Title IX
Coordinator in writing a public comment on behalf of the university to submit to the
federal government opposing the new Title IX regulations. She is very excited to have
the opportunity to be participating in this conference.
Josef Canaria
Josef Canaria is the Campus Sexual Assault Project Coordinator at the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault (LaFASA), where he provides technical assistance to the 39 institutions of higher education in Louisiana in regards to their policies and protocols related to the response and prevention of sexual violence. He has been a part of LaFASA for five years, where he was previously the Engaging Men Coordinator and Program Assistant. Before LaFASA, Josef served as an Americorps Member for City Year San Antonio, where he provided individualized support to under-served 4th grade students.
Shametria Gonzales
Shametria works as a Rape Prevention Educator for the New Orleans Family Justice Center,
a facilitator for the Teen Sex and the Law program for the Children's Advocacy Center, a
backup medical advocate for University Hospital assisting victims of sexuall assult, and also
co-authored a book with her 9 year old daughter in order to raise awareness on the effects
of childhood trauma, titled The Reflection Eyes See. After coming to the New Orleans
Family Justice Center as a victim of rape and domestic violence, the advocates at the center
saw something in her and offered her a job at the front desk. It was hard and her transition
and healing process was tough, but with the support of a entire organization just 6 months
later she was promoted to be over the Speak Up program. She know uses her experience
and story as a tool to spark the attention of the youth, teens, and young adults she speaks
to with the hopes of preventing dating violence, and raising awarness on sexuall assult. She
also started a company called Spiritually Connected were she travels the states and speaks
on Redeveloping Yourself As a Woman After Trauma.
Bridget Lee
Bridget Lee is a sophomore at Tulane University studying neuroscience and public health. She is
interested in brain development through trauma. As a survivor of domestic partner rape as a
minor, Bridget uses her knowledge and experience to advocate for Title IX rights in K-12 school
districts. Bridget is also the treasurer of Tulane's Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education
(SAPHE) organization, where she helps run the 24/7 hotline, provides resources and support for
survivors of abuse and sexual assault, and teaches workshops about consent, resources, and
sexual assault on college campuses.
Riley Moran
My name is Riley Moran, I'm a sophomore at Tulane majoring in Latin American Studies,
Political Science, and Latin American Studies. I'm a member of SAPHE and have worked in
outreach and juvenile diversion programs through an intimate partner violence shelter in my
hometown in Tampa.
Olivia Arriviello
is a junior at Tulane University majoring in Public Health. She currently serves at the secretary of
SAPHE, Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education. Her mother works in sexual violence advocacy, so she has been
involved in activism ever since she can remember.
Nina Harris
Nina Harris is a junior at Tulane double majoring in Political Science and Social Policy & Practice
with a minor in Psychology. She has been in SAPHE since the Fall of 2017 and enjoyed
facilitating workshops regarding sexual assault on campus. This past Summer she was a court
advocate for a domestic violence and rape crisis center in Massachusetts. She currently interns
for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in their domestic violence unit, helping survivors obtain
custody and divorces. Nina has a passion for helping survivors as much as possible and has
worked with survivors of all ages and backgrounds.
Kennedy Williams
Kennedy is a junior at Tulane University, from Shreveport, LA, majoring in Psychology. Williams has been
involved in sexual violence activism since she can remember. She spent many years volunteering at a non-profit that
her mother owns, which provides services to young survivors of sexual abuse. Williams continues her activist efforts
by working at the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center and Audrey Hepburn CARE center where she helps provide
resources to children suffering from sexual abuse.
Victoria Van Riper
My name is Victoria Van Riper and I am a sophomore at Tulane studying Gender and
Sexuality Studies and Psychology. I became involved with sexual violence activism because
I wanted to have a voice and make a difference regarding the growing issue of sexual
violence on college campuses nationwide. I hope my experiences will help me be a better
women’s health professional in the future
Catherine Jacquet is assistant professor of history and women’s and gender studies at
Louisiana State University where she teaches courses in US history, the history of
sexuality, black feminism, and LGBTQ activism. Her book The Injustices of Rape: How
Activists Responded to Sexual Violence, 1950-1980 will be published with the University
of North Carolina Press in Fall 2019. As a specialist in US women’s history and the
history of sexuality, Dr. Jacquet has a keen understanding of the adversities that women
and sexual and gender minorities have faced both historically and in our own time. She
is a feminist and she believes you.
Stephanie Boyd
After becoming a sexual assault survivor during her first-year of college, Stephanie Marcellé
Boyd went on to start stopsexualassault.org with her mother, serve as the keynote speaker
at last year’s Take Back the Night, and become a trained sexual assault advocate for
current students at Loyola University New Orleans. A graduate student in Loyola’s music
therapy equivalency program, as well as a graduate of Loyola’s popular and commercial
music program, Boyd also raises awareness about sexual assault and its related issues
through music. Last year, she organized a benefit concert for STAR, Louisiana’s Sexual
Trauma Awareness and Response Center; and, this April, she will partner with college
students around the city to release a creative project for sexual assault awareness month,
titled Human. For more information about her and Human, visit stephaniemarcelle.com. You
can also follow her on social media: @musicbymarcelle
Gabriella Rodriguez
Gabriella is an undergraduate student at Loyola University. She currently serves as the president of the
Students Against Sexual Assault club, which seeks to combat the normalization of sexual assault, victim blaming, and
cultural proliferations of unhealthy masculinity by altering the way in which people hold others accountable for their
actions and view of society. She has spoken on several panels about rape culture and sexual assault, is a campus advocate
for survivors, and was present in DC at a speak out in support of Dr. Ford this September.
Jenny Mercein
Jenny Mercein is an actor, teacher, writer, and director. Acting work includes “NCIS:
New Orleans,” "30 Rock," "Blue Bloods," "Unforgettable," "Law & Order" and
extensive theater credits spanning the country. Recent directing credits include “The
Metromaniacs” (Tulane), “Dancing at Lughnasa” (Tulane- Big Easy Nomination, Best
University Production), "Too Much Water" (UCSB), and "Heathers the Musical"
(Santa Barbara's Out of the Box Theatre- Broadway World Nomination, Best
Director). Along with KJ Sanchez, Jenny is the co-creator of the acclaimed
documentary theater play X's and O's about football and traumatic brain injury. An
Assistant Professor and Head of Undergraduate Acting at Tulane University, Jenny is
currently she is collaborating with students and members of Goat in the Road
Productions on Roleplay, a new theatrical work highlighting students’ perspectives on
love, sex, power and relationships on campus, created in an attempt to understand,
confront, and heal the culture that keeps harassment and violence alive in their
community. MFA University of Washington, BA Yale. www.jennymercein.com.
Hailey Mozzachio
Hailey Mozzachio is junior at Tulane majoring in Theater and digital media production with a
minor in psychology. She implements her artistic training as well as her research experience to
study the LGBTQ representation in media and how that affects audience perceptions of LGBTQ
populations. She is currently a research fellow for Academic Equity. She is currently a cast
member in Machinal and Role-play.
Hannah May Powers
Hannah May Powers is a sophomore at Tulane University studying Sociology and Latin
American studies with a minor in Portuguese. She is currently working on a research piece that
seeks to understand the prevalence of sexual violence within male homosocial groups on the
American college campus, especially with regard to same-sex sexual violence within these
circles. She is also working on a piece that examines sexual violence against LGBTQ+ women
who are currently incarcerated.
Ryan Herrschaft
Ryan Herrschaft is a junior at Tulane University studying public health and psychology. As a
researcher, he analyzed correlates of sexual violence perpetration and victimization among
LGBTQ+ identifying students. His current work involves using evidence-based practices to
implement interventions centering LGBTQ+ students and the health disparities they
encounter.
Amanda Tonkovich
Amanda Tonkovich is the Sexual Assault Program Director and a therapist at the New Orleans
Family Justice Center. She coordinates the New Orleans Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
and the New Orleans Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Action Coalition. Amanda has over
10 years of experience working with survivors of intimate partner abuse, sexual violence,
stalking and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse as a counselor and advocate. Amanda
helps facilitate collaborations between multi-disciplinary groups to continually improve the
response to sexual and domestic violence and also oversees the Family Justice Center’s 24/7
medical advocacy program. Amanda sits on the New Orleans Mayor’s Advisory Committee on
Sexual Assault and is the current Chair of the Louisianan Crime Victims Reparations Board.
Alix Tarnowsky
Alix Tarnowsky is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as the Advocacy
Director at Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response® in the New Orleans office. Prior to
joining the STAR® team, Alix served as the Program Manager of NOLA Dads at Family
Service of Greater New Orleans where she created a Healthy Relationship program.
Alix completed her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009 and
then relocated to New Orleans in 2011 to pursue a Masters of Social Work degree with a
certificate in Disaster Mental Health from Tulane University. Alix graduated with a Master of
Business Administration, focused on Strategic Management and Leadership from Tulane
University’s Professional MBA program in 2017. During Alix's time at STAR, she has
worked to improve services for sexual assault survivors and their loved ones.
Chelsey Whynot
Chelsey is currently a second year law student at Tulane University Law School who
has been involved in campus assault prevention since she was an undergraduate
student at Bentley University in Boston, Massachusetts. Most recently, she worked at
Tulane University's Title IX office as a legal intern. There, she assisted the Title IX
Coordinator in writing a public comment on behalf of the university to submit to the
federal government opposing the new Title IX regulations. She is very excited to have
the opportunity to be participating in this conference.
Josef Canaria
Josef Canaria is the Campus Sexual Assault Project Coordinator at the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault (LaFASA), where he provides technical assistance to the 39 institutions of higher education in Louisiana in regards to their policies and protocols related to the response and prevention of sexual violence. He has been a part of LaFASA for five years, where he was previously the Engaging Men Coordinator and Program Assistant. Before LaFASA, Josef served as an Americorps Member for City Year San Antonio, where he provided individualized support to under-served 4th grade students.
Shametria Gonzales
Shametria works as a Rape Prevention Educator for the New Orleans Family Justice Center,
a facilitator for the Teen Sex and the Law program for the Children's Advocacy Center, a
backup medical advocate for University Hospital assisting victims of sexuall assult, and also
co-authored a book with her 9 year old daughter in order to raise awareness on the effects
of childhood trauma, titled The Reflection Eyes See. After coming to the New Orleans
Family Justice Center as a victim of rape and domestic violence, the advocates at the center
saw something in her and offered her a job at the front desk. It was hard and her transition
and healing process was tough, but with the support of a entire organization just 6 months
later she was promoted to be over the Speak Up program. She know uses her experience
and story as a tool to spark the attention of the youth, teens, and young adults she speaks
to with the hopes of preventing dating violence, and raising awarness on sexuall assult. She
also started a company called Spiritually Connected were she travels the states and speaks
on Redeveloping Yourself As a Woman After Trauma.
Bridget Lee
Bridget Lee is a sophomore at Tulane University studying neuroscience and public health. She is
interested in brain development through trauma. As a survivor of domestic partner rape as a
minor, Bridget uses her knowledge and experience to advocate for Title IX rights in K-12 school
districts. Bridget is also the treasurer of Tulane's Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education
(SAPHE) organization, where she helps run the 24/7 hotline, provides resources and support for
survivors of abuse and sexual assault, and teaches workshops about consent, resources, and
sexual assault on college campuses.
Riley Moran
My name is Riley Moran, I'm a sophomore at Tulane majoring in Latin American Studies,
Political Science, and Latin American Studies. I'm a member of SAPHE and have worked in
outreach and juvenile diversion programs through an intimate partner violence shelter in my
hometown in Tampa.
Olivia Arriviello
is a junior at Tulane University majoring in Public Health. She currently serves at the secretary of
SAPHE, Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education. Her mother works in sexual violence advocacy, so she has been
involved in activism ever since she can remember.
Nina Harris
Nina Harris is a junior at Tulane double majoring in Political Science and Social Policy & Practice
with a minor in Psychology. She has been in SAPHE since the Fall of 2017 and enjoyed
facilitating workshops regarding sexual assault on campus. This past Summer she was a court
advocate for a domestic violence and rape crisis center in Massachusetts. She currently interns
for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in their domestic violence unit, helping survivors obtain
custody and divorces. Nina has a passion for helping survivors as much as possible and has
worked with survivors of all ages and backgrounds.
Kennedy Williams
Kennedy is a junior at Tulane University, from Shreveport, LA, majoring in Psychology. Williams has been
involved in sexual violence activism since she can remember. She spent many years volunteering at a non-profit that
her mother owns, which provides services to young survivors of sexual abuse. Williams continues her activist efforts
by working at the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center and Audrey Hepburn CARE center where she helps provide
resources to children suffering from sexual abuse.
Victoria Van Riper
My name is Victoria Van Riper and I am a sophomore at Tulane studying Gender and
Sexuality Studies and Psychology. I became involved with sexual violence activism because
I wanted to have a voice and make a difference regarding the growing issue of sexual
violence on college campuses nationwide. I hope my experiences will help me be a better
women’s health professional in the future